Scientific Method
by Roguie
Summary: This is the morning that Rose awakens with a craving for more than just tea with her best friend - is the determination of a single human being enough to bring a Time Lord to his knees?
1. Spirit Awakened

A/N: Here we are with another extended bit with Rose and the Doctor… Next few parts are already written, just testing the waters with the opening; just need a little something to kick the muse in the rear and get her doing her job right for once. As always, read and review - reviews = love, love = Rose/Doctor fun. No reviews = In Silence, Prayer. :P

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have. **

Scientific Method

Part One: Spirit Awakened

By: Danae Bowen

When she opened her eyes that morning, nothing physical she could define had been altered. A quick hand run through her hair determined her blonde locks were well and truly dishevelled. A quick glance down the length of her body determined the pink flannel pyjama bottoms she'd put on the night before were still covering her long legs and the yellow tank top she loved sleeping in still hid away most of her torso. When her feet struck the ground as she slid out of bed, the shudder that ran through her from the cool metal beneath her confirmed she was not trapped inside a dream. All in all, every single physical aspect of the morning was exactly like any other morning for Rose Tyler - awaking on the TARDIS wishing she'd remembered to bring those fuzzy pink slippers back from her mum's, yawning and wondering if the Doctor had thought to make tea.

This morning, however, deterred slightly from any previous morning. This morning Rose Tyler had awakened with her breath caught in her throat, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, her eyes wide and half glazed as she peered around her room. This morning, Rose awoke with the taste of the Doctor's lips upon her own, even his scent still filled her nostrils as she breathed in deeply, adjusting to the fact that she was, indeed, alone.

This was the morning Rose Tyler acknowledged that the 900 year old alien with whom she travelled was perhaps slightly more than just her best friend. Alright, definitely more than just her best friend. Cor, he was the center of her universe and this was the morning she was determined to face that very fact.

She paused. After she'd had a cup of tea.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you're doing this to make me look the idiot," Rose muttered at the TARDIS, her voice muted by the cupboard in which she'd stuck her head and most of her upper body as she struggled to find the sugar. Any other morning, a cup of tea would have been a simple task; hot water, tea bag, a drop of milk and a spoonful of the sugar that was always, always available in the top left cupboard on the bottom shelf. This morning, Rose had searched all the upper shelves and now found herself on her hands and knees, digging into cupboards she wasn't positive existed twelve hours ago.

She knew she had to look ridiculous, pyjama bottoms riding low on her hips as her pink rear waggled behind her. Judging by the draft she was developing, it was quite possible her yellow tank top had ridden far higher than it was ever supposed to as well, leaving her regretting not getting changed, or at the very least not having slipped on a bra before making the foray into the kitchen. All in all, this morning was not shaping up to be one of her best, a fact made resoundingly clear when her hand finally closed around the hidden bag of sugar just as her brain registered a second presence in the room.

The Doctor's trainer squeaked on the metal floor, Rose's body jerked in surprise, the back of her head cracked into the top of the cupboard, and the sugar bag split down the center spraying white granules all through her hair and face, leaving the girl blinking in surprise and mortification as she struggled to free herself from the embarrassing position. Her lip popped into her mouth and she chewed on it soundly, a cross look marring her features as she found her footing and pulled herself up to her full height. Swallowing her rapidly beating heart, she turned to face the Doctor, expecting the corners of his lips to be upturned in a giggle, his dark gaze to be sparkling with mirth and his body poised to run as his mouth formed words that would earn him the infamous Tyler slap. Rather she was faced with a look entirely different. Even as sugar dropped from her hair to the ground, even through the Rose Tyler glare that would stop a Dalek cold in it's tracks, even without caffeine or makeup, a deep burn had appeared in the Doctor's eyes.

She swallowed thickly, the pace of her heart picking up and fluttering rapidly in her chest. She watched as his tongue slipped out to wet his lips, his fingers tightening on the door frame until his knuckles turned white with effort. When his expression returned to one with some semblance of control, he brought his eyes up, up her long legs to her perfect hips, up her bare midriff to her chest her breasts heaving with her efforts to draw air into her suddenly starved lungs, up over her pale neck, her ruby lips, her burning cheeks, until he captured her dark eyes with his own. Moments passed in silence, neither willing to break the stare, something building in the kitchen atmosphere terrifyingly tangible, threatening to smother them both even as Rose's knees turned weak and she reached for a chair to offer her support. When not even the chair was enough to keep her on her feet, Rose finally broke the gaze, instantly severing the electrical charge bouncing through the room, freeing them both from the impossible moment.

"Came to tell you the TARDIS shifted the upper cupboards to the lower. You found it anyway, don't need me, then." The Doctor cleared his throat, turning away from the girl who sat trembling in his kitchen. "Right, feel like the Trojan war today? I do. Fighting over a woman 'n all, very noble. The stories say Helen was playing both Paris and Agamemnon for control of both territories, but they never had any proof. I bet if we get you into the castle before Agamemnon's forces arrive on the beach, you could get Helen to say for sure. What d'you say, then?" He forced a manic grin onto his face, turning back and reaching his hand out to her, "C'mon, perfect moment in human history... and one of the biggest mysteries left in your civilization." When she still hadn't gotten to her feet, the Doctor cocked his head to the side. "C'mon lazy, the lost city of Troy!"

Finally, Rose rolled her eyes, allowing her body to relax as she brought a grin to her lips even if it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just so you know, Doctor, if I end up kidnapped by a King and tied up in a wooden horse, I'll not be at all happy."

This time, the Doctor's smile was honest, interlacing his fingers into Rose's and pulling her to her feet. "Of course you will. You forget, Rose Tyler, I know you better than you know yourself. There will be screaming, panic and running, and you'll love every second."

She shook her head, allowing herself to be lead out of the kitchen, a giggle slipping past her lips as he pulled her down the corridor and into the dressing room.

It was going to be an interesting day.

~~TBC


	2. Learning the Rules

**A/N: Here we are with another extended bit with Rose and the Doctor… Next few parts are already written, just testing the waters with the opening; just need a little something to kick the muse in the rear and get her doing her job right for once. As always, read and review - reviews = love, love = Rose/Doctor fun. No reviews = In Silence, Prayer. :P**

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have. **

Scientific Method

Part Two: Learning the Rules

By: Danae Bowen

Rose Tyler lay in her bed that evening, staring up at the ceiling and thinking over the days events. The Doctor had miscalculated their landing time and they'd landed the night of the Greek invasion of Troy, arriving just in time to witness the end of the Trojan victory party and the opening of the gift horse. Sure enough, Rose had found herself trapped in the giant wooden horse, tied and gagged while the Doctor raced around to preserve the timeline threatened by the presence of some new and exciting alien being whispering into Helen's ear. In the end the Greeks were put back on the path to victory, the city of Troy fell as it should, and Rose and the Doctor celebrated with their new allies as they danced around bonfires on the beach.

Though the events of the day were common, Rose's mind swam with confusion as she struggled to fall asleep. That morning in the kitchen had thrown her off, distracting her enough that she'd not even heard the Greek soldier as he'd snuck up behind her and quickly pulled her off to the great vessel within the Trojan walls. She did, however, hear the Doctor's outrage as he stormed about, threatening each and every soldier until one dropped the platform, allowing the ancient alien aboard to rescue his young companion. She also saw the desperate fear in his eyes as he tried to surreptitiously check her over while loosening her ropes, his fingers running softly over the burn marks on her wrists before travelling up her arms, her neck, under her hair to release the cloth gag that was cutting off any words that may have been forming.

They'd returned to the TARDIS in comfortable silence, occasionally stopping to laugh at the antics of Helen and the games she'd played between the two men. Neither mentioned the heat of their morning encounter, neither dwelling on the dangerous energy building between them until their hands parted and they'd separated to their own rooms for the evening. Now, alone, Rose was left remembering the fierce pounding of her heart as she lost herself in the Doctor's temporous gaze. They'd been ignoring it for ages, this thing between them, since the day she'd met her first Dalek. She'd thought when he regenerated it would fade; it wasn't this Doctor that almost sacrificed the human race in exchange for her life, it wasn't this Doctor that held her as they danced around the console, and it wasn't this Doctor that had laid his life at her feet while her body burned from within. Instead of fading, however, the draw to him grew stronger. She couldn't turn him away when he held his hand out for her while the Sycorax ship burned in Earth's atmosphere. She remembered the way his eyes darted down the front of her shirt while her body had been in Cassandra's possession. She couldn't forget the fact that the last words on his lips as he'd descended uncontrollably into the pit below the impossible planet had belonged to her. Every day they grew closer, and while the Doctor may not be ready to admit it, Rose started to think she was.

Helen of Troy ended an entire civilization in her battle to be with the man she loved.

Surely Rose Tyler could, at the very least, shake up the status quo a little, and maybe help an old Time Lord open his hearts again to love. All it would take is a little determination and a lot of courage, two qualities of which Rose had never been short.

"Better watch out, Doctor," she whispered into the darkness, "I'm a girl that always gets what she wants."

Whether it was Rose's imagination or whether the ship had been listening in, the human girl didn't know, but when she grinned into the night she swore the lights flickered approvingly mere moments before the comforting hum of the TARDIS's resting engines drifted her off into a deep sleep.

~~~3

Seducing a Time Lord proved to be slightly more difficult than the small amount of experience Rose had available. On Earth, the young blonde was able to toss her hips just so, cast a pointed expression in the direction of whatever male she'd set her eyes upon, flash an irresistible grin and the boy would invariably have fallen at her feet. On the TARDIS, Rose found the same task far more daunting. Not that the Doctor was immune to her charms, far from in fact, but breaking him down was a greater challenge. The days following the Trojan fiasco were spent testing the alien, finding his weaknesses.

With the memory of the heated morning run in still fresh in mind, Rose decided to repeat the same situation and compare the results. Rather than waste time, that morning she appeared in the kitchen wearing one of the Doctor's dress shirts half buttoned and a pair of silk pyjama shorts that she normally ignored as they cut far too high up her thigh for her own comfort. She'd pulled her unruly blonde locks into a pony tail rather than brushing them straight and made her way through the corridors, thinking first of a pot of tea, second of tracking down the Doctor and seeing what he thought of this particular look.

Once again the TARDIS had rearranged the kitchen, the refrigerator positioned poorly, the door squeezing Rose against the archway as she reached for the cool milk carton, opening it as she spun around without realizing the Doctor'd come up behind her. Rose's momentum brought her elbow across the Doctor's chest, jarring the carton of milk, splashing it up and down her throat and chest. As a very undignified sound escaped her lips, the Doctor's eyes latched onto a droplet of milk making it's way down the hollow of her throat and disappearing below the lapel of her half open shirt. Rose swallowed heavily, frozen in place by the intense expression building in the Doctor's features. Her heart thumped heavily, her breath coming in heavy gasps causing further droplets to continue their course downwards. The shivers that began coursing through her were caused less by the path of the cool liquid passing between her breasts and settling wetly against the fabric of her shirt, but more from the lack of distance that separated her and the Time Lord. She could feel her own body heat radiated back at her, his breath blowing hot against her neck; his fingers twitched as another droplet disappeared, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, his teeth ground tightly together. His mouth opened, lips forming words she couldn't comprehend as he at last lifted his eyes to hers, cocking his head to the side, eyes questioning.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, re-oxygenating her blood as she brought a smile to her face. Trembling fingers reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly, relaxing her expression into one of quiet confidence. His own expression relaxed as he stepped away from her shaking his head.

"She never thinks about where to put the refrigerator. I'll have to have a talk with the old girl." He chuckled wryly, running his fingers through his hair as he backed out of the room slowly.

"Yeah, do that," Rose grinned, sucking her lip between her teeth, and sinking slowly into a chair.

She watched him move down the corridor, muttering to himself under his breath as he went. Quietly she chewed on her thumbnail, considering her next move. If nothing else, the Time Lord had shown a vast display of self control. She grinned. Just going to have to work harder next time.

~~~TBC


	3. Combustive Reactions

A/N: Uh oh, fluff and angst… muse is confused I think. Have to decide what to do next… drinking? Dancing? Midnight visits? Who's to say. And don't complain if you don't comment… don't know what you want unless you say. ;) IOW: Read and Review… reviews = love, and right now, Rose could use some.

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.**

Scientific Method

Part 3: Combustive Reactions

She cursed the heat of her bathroom silently as she stood listening at the door. Her lithe body was wrapped tightly in a fluffy towel, the corner of which was tucked safely between her breasts. She tugged at the hem of the towel, ensuring everything necessary was covered as she waited to hear the tell tale footprints of her companion. Long moments passed as her hair dripped down her back and her skin turned flush from the damp heat billowing from her shower, and she began to think that perhaps he'd not turn to come past her room. Silently, she willed the TARDIS for help, hoping against hope a corridor would shift just enough that he would soon arrive. When the first audible footstep fell, Rose drew her brush into her golden hair and stepped out of the bathroom, seemingly occupied with a stubborn tangle.

Her shoulder bumped off his chest, sending her a little more off balance than she'd been expecting. Her dripping hair dampened his shirt immediately as she stumbled into him; out of pure reaction the Doctor brought his hand down, clamping it onto her towel covered waist, holding her firmly against him as she recovered her footing. The moment his fingers slipped downwards however, past the barrier of the towel and brushed lightly against the flesh of her thigh, the Doctor's breath caught in his throat and she felt him turn to stone behind her.

"Doctor?" she questioned lightly, attempting to turn in his grasp.

"Just... yeah, just wait a moment." He breathed in deeply behind her, alternately tightening and then releasing his grip on her hip, his fingers purposely dipping down to slide over the soft skin in his reach. His breath released, whispering past her ear in a single drawn out sigh.

Suddenly, she found herself alone in the corridor, the Doctor having spun on his heel and retreating back to wherever the Doctor goes for privacy. She sighed, but an eyebrow raised slowly. Small victories win large wars, she told herself silently, and she shivered quietly as she listened to the last of his fading footsteps.

Tonight she'd be sleeping with the memory of his fingers against her thigh. She had a feeling she was in for some very pleasant dreams.

~~~3

After the shower incident, Rose was at a loss as to what to do to further push the Time Lord. In the days to come, he separated himself from her, not rudely, but obviously. She'd come into the kitchen to make something to eat, he'd excuse himself and manufacture work under the center console. She'd come into the library at night and sit next to him on the sofa, and he'd mumble something to the effect of strange spatial distortions he had to analyze before they came out of the vortex. After three days her heart began to pound rapidly, her lip chewed raw as he suggested perhaps they should return to earth so she could visit Jackie for a few days.

When she stepped out the front door and turned, holding her hand out for the Doctor to take, he shook his head at her, his eyes hooded.

"Oh, I'm not coming with you on this visit. I think I'll go around... oh, Hadnar Prime and check in with the Prime Governor there. Last time we visited he was having that little land dispute with Hadnar Beta, should really make sure that's not escalated any further than it has to." He flashed her a strained smile and a shrug. "Good neighbours and all, they're so close to Earth I wouldn't want to see such a minor row spill over and cause issues here."

Rose swallowed with difficulty, willing her eyes not to fill with tears. "Oh, then I should get a bag, yeah? Just in case you're a while?"

He stroked his jaw thoughtfully, before running a hand through his dishevelled hair. "I doubt I'll be too long, but, yeah, can't hurt to be prepared." He winked, his face belying the tension in his stance. "With my penchant for digging in the wrong places, or the right ones so to speak."

She cast her eyes to the ground, her teeth grinding hard on her lip to keep herself put together as she slipped past the Doctor and back into the TARDIS. "Be just a tic, then, Doctor. Wouldn't want to hold you up."

His face fell slightly as he heard the hurt in her voice, uncertain as to what she may be thinking. "No great hurry; time machine, remember?"

"Couldn't forget."

When the door closed behind her, Rose wasn't able to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. As they spilled over and down her cheeks, Rose looked around the room that had been her home for nearly two years, eyes falling on pictures and mementos she'd taken from various planets during their travels. She pulled her large duffel bag out from under her bed and opened the top. The first layers were simple, jeans, shirts, underwear, socks, oh and that lovely skirt she'd picked up last Christmas and hadn't yet had a chance to wear. The next layers of packing were more difficult - definitely taking that picture of her, Jack and the Doctor at Raxacoricofallapatorius when they dropped off Margaret's egg. Couldn't forget the chain the Doctor bought her from that vendor on New Earth when they'd gone back after the whole fiasco with Cassandra. Pictures of her mum, candids of the Doctor that she'd taken, candids of her that the Doctor'd taken, and one very special picture of the two of them taken during the block party after the Doctor'd rid the world of the Wire. She whimpered softly, her lower lip trembling as she tied the strings on her bag, took one last look around her room and stepped out into the corridor. On the long walk back (and she swore the TARDIS was moving hallways to make it that much longer) she strengthened herself to say goodbye, forcing her face into a neutral expression before facing the Doctor.

"All set, then?" He asked, barely glancing up from the screen in front of him.

"Yep, I guess that's everything." She forced a smile onto her face as she walked to the door, putting a bit of life into her voice. "Mum'll be thrilled to have me back." She paused before testing hesitantly. "Don't take forever, yeah?"

He glanced up then, catching the broken look in her eyes that claimed both her voice and expression a liar. His own neutrality faltered then and he reached out to squeeze her hand. "You'll hardly know I'm gone."

"Doubt that," she smiled, sadly. "My hand'll get cold."

"Can't have that, Rose Tyler." He reached behind her and grabbed her gloves off the railing, giving her a friendly swat on the shoulder with the fluffy creations. "There you go, toasty warm till I come back for you."

She caught his gaze then, unable to keep up the pretence as she started to crumble, her dark eyes wide and wet. "You will, won't you? Come back?"

His hands came up to the sides of her face so suddenly that she flinched. Gently he cupped her cheeks, forcing her gaze directly into his own, his dark eyes flashing a harsh intensity. "Have I ever let you down?" She shook her head as best she could. "I won't start today. Go see your mum, call Sharine and go dancing, and have a bit of fun. You'll see me again, Rose Tyler."

"I just don't wanna be forty when that happens."

He groaned inwardly, releasing her and turning her towards the door and pushing her through with subtle force. "Nothing I say is going to make a difference, so go home and stop worrying."

"Doctor, when'll you...?"

She turned but the door had already closed and the whine of the TARDIS's old engines drowned out her words. Helplessly, Rose stood in the center of the Estates watching as the blue box faded out of view. The tears began falling before she'd even turned towards Jackie's flat and she blindly ran across the grounds she knew so very well, up the stairs, through the door and directly into her mum's waiting arms.

"Sweetheart? What's happened? What's wrong?" Jackie's voice rose in terror, holding her beautiful daughter as she cried, her face buried in her old mum's neck.

"He's gone, Mum, 'n I don't know when he'll be back!"

Jackie's eyes hardened as she looked out the doorway, the sound of the TARDIS long evaporated into the quiet evening. "Doesn't matter how long he's gone, Rose, y'know that. He's got that beautiful time machine, he could be gone a decade and back here in ten seconds, remember? It's just ten seconds, Rose, we've all made it through worse."

It was shame that the words that had failed to comfort Jackie and Mickey so long before had no effect on the broken hearted girl who continued to cry in her mum's arms long after night had fallen.

~~~TBC


	4. Drawing Conclusions

A/N: The absence of fluff… what to do!…. We wait until the next chapter! lol The return of mindless fluff is forthcoming, I promise. I love all your suggestions and will surely see as many as possible are worked into the story one way or another, so keep them coming! I find it utterly amazing how each of you have inspired such a great amount of the good stuff yet to come! The next part is already well under way and will likely be posted by Sunday, as for this part, thank you, DestinChild - this piece was actually rewritten in part due to your comment - I loved the idea so! As always, please read and review - the muse is thriving on your comments and suggestions and she vows to not disappoint.

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.**

**Scientific Method**

**Part 4: Drawing Conclusions**

**By: Danae Bowen**

The first two days she didn't leave the flat. She curled up in her bed, staring at the pink walls, the pink clock and watched the hours tick by. Jackie brought her tea and she drank it. Jackie brought her food and she ate it. She got out of bed to use the washroom and then curled back up in the cocoon she'd developed for herself.

The tears only lasted a few hours. The depression lasted a few days. When the sun came up on the third day, Rose pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and wandered out to the living room where her mum was watching the television.

"Any word on Sharine, then?" she muttered as she sat down beside the older woman and rested her feet on the coffee table.

Jackie gaped at her in surprise for a moment but thought better of commenting. "Haven't heard a thing from the girl in an age. I expect you can find her down at the pub any night, from what I've heard anyway."

Rose nodded, knowing her friend's antics well. "Think maybe I'll go 'round tonight, try and track her down."

Jackie hesitated but shrugged and looked over at her daughter. "Feeling better, then?"

"Yeah," Rose shrugged, "Getting on with it."

~~~3

The pub hadn't changed; same old group of guys hanging around the pool table, hooting at the match being broadcast over the bar; same old group of girls hanging around the bar, shaking their heads at the guys, chattering about whatever had come to mind.

Rose sat at the far end of the bar, sipping on a half pint as she looked for anyone she cared to talk to. There were a few courtesy, "Oi, Rose Tyler, where ya been?" conversations, but no one really cared. When she came here she had Mickey or Sharine at her side, now she was alone.

"If that blonde were any more bottled, girl, we'd need to keep it behind the bar."

A grin broke across Rose's features as she turned to face down her old mate. "You should talk, that hair went out the year we were born."

Through the laughter and chatter that followed, Rose found herself thinking less of the Doctor and more about having fun. How they ended up at a dive of a dance club, however, Rose doubted she'd ever know for sure. They stayed a while drinking at the pub before Rose found herself dragged to Sharine's flat. If nothing else, Sharine loved to dress up, which is how Rose found herself in a cute little black dress that hugged her body in all the right places just enough to raise the eyebrows of Sharine's mates who appeared on the doorstep a half hour later.

"Rose, meet Andrew and Michael. Boys, this is my best mate, Rose."

The one called Andrew sidled up to Rose, not hiding his eyes as his gaze travelled down the front of her dress. "Hear you're quite the experienced traveller. All over the world, Sharine says."

Rose shrugged non-committally. "Yeah, do a bit here 'n there." She wormed herself away from him and back closer to Sharine, crossing her arms over her chest as she went.

More alcohol was consumed, Rose found herself in Michael's car and the four of them were off to the club. She was still hard pressed to remember how she ended up in Andrews arm's, struggling uncertainly to keep his hands off her bum as they danced. Rose momentarily missed her real life, running from Daleks, Slitheens and the rest - crazy cat nuns and werewolves were nothing compared to a drunken sleaze ball determined to cop a feel. She excused herself from the human octopus and returned to the bar, drinking anything the bartender put in front of her as she struggled to forget.

~~~3

He paced the steel grating on the TARDIS. He paced from the control room to the kitchen, kitchen to the library, library to the pool. In the end he found himself standing in front of Rose's bedroom door, courtesy of the TARDIS as she shifted her interior dimensions to suite her nefarious needs.

The Time Lord was struggling with the recent events that had occurred. He'd encountered Rose in a number of situations prior to the last week, not the least being the mind blowing kiss laved upon him by Cassandra whilst in Rose's body. However, he'd never reacted so poorly as he had recently. The first morning in the kitchen had been the worst. He couldn't help himself as his most base functions took over, forcing him to practically devour the girl with his desperate, hungry gaze.

She'd gone pale when she turned and caught him staring, not that he could blame her. He was a nine hundred year old alien that for just a single moment in time lost control, lusting after a twenty year old human child. He couldn't explain the change, but that morning it was as if something had filled the air, a subtle difference in either Rose or himself, and he found himself helpless to fight the closeness that had been growing between them.

Over the next few days he'd found any time she was in his presence, the sight of her, the smell of her drove him to places he hadn't been in years. The finale break had come when he'd inadvertently run into her clothed only in a towel. He'd laid his hands on her only to prevent her from falling, but the second his fingers brushed over the soft flesh of her thigh, her fresh scent wrapped its tendrils around his brain and his body had instantly reacted. He'd kept the thinnest hold on his sanity, ordering her silent as he struggled against the urge to force her against the nearest wall, to press his lips to hers and drink deeply of her flavour directly from the source. Every subtle shift of her body, every gasping breath she drew between her ruby lips left him helpless, threatening to shatter whatever fragile control remained.

He was useless after that; every second he was in her presence became torture, his body immediately coming to attention, demanding a release he couldn't honourably provide. He'd tried avoiding her, but her scent followed him into every room; he'd tried ignoring it, but sitting across from her as she consumed some sticky treat made him wish beyond all else that her lips would favour him with the same treatment.

He'd needed a break, she was driving him completely mad; when she'd merely popped out of her bedroom and perched on a railing and his brain started screaming take her, he knew he had to separate the human from the situation before she got hurt. So, he suggested visiting her mum, effectively pushed her out of the TARDIS and now stood in front of her door, lonely, depressed and wasn't his hand just a little cold?

Ignoring the little voice in his head that whispered invasion of privacy, the Doctor opened the door and found himself all at once encompassed by her scent. He groaned softly as he stepped forward and let the door close behind him. He was halfway to her bed when it struck him that the large picture of Jackie that Rose insisted on keeping with her no longer sat perched on the girl's armoire. He frowned and turned, taking in the rest of the room, recognizing the barren walls and table tops for what they were. His hearts began beating rapidly out of synch, his skin dawning a green pallor.

It wasn't until he lay down on her bed and realized that her favourite fluffy pink pillow was gone, with it the picture of them she kept hidden beneath it, that he understood completely.

Rose had gone home, and she wasn't planning on coming back.

What had he done?

~~~3

It was near midnight when Jackie Tyler awoke to a furious pounding on her door. Startled and concerned, she slipped the chain lock over the doorframe before peeking through the peephole.

"Oh, come on," he muttered impatiently, pacing in front of the door.

The elder Tyler sighed as she released the chain and opened the door to the dishevelled looking alien on her doorstep. "I oughta slap you, y'know?" she muttered, unsure if she was pleased to see him or raging that he'd come back.

"I need to talk to Rose, Jackie. You can slap me later." He looked around, his mind instantly recognizing the absence of Rose's presence.

A ghost of a smile crossed her mum's features as she chuckled softly, "Promise?" before shrugging, "She's not here anyway. She's gone off with her mate, Sharine. When those two get together, she could be gone days without a word."

The Doctor's frown deepened. "Do you know where?"

"Who's to say, I mean really, Doctor, it's not like I keep tabs on my Rose these days." She paused, "And although I certainly wouldn't know where Sharine spends her time, you can check the pub down the block." She paused again. "'Course at this time of night, s'more likely you'll find them at that new club opened up down the road. Heard Sharine spends a lot of time there, these days." She frowned, "Not that I really listen to estate gossip, you know."

The Doctor grabbed her and planted a kiss on her cheek before turning on his heel, "Of course not, Jackie. Can't help what you hear by the mailboxes, right?"

"S'right, Doctor." She closed the door behind him, breathing a silent sigh of relief as he took off down the street in search of her daughter. "Good luck, then."

~~~TBC


	5. Cause and Effect

A/N: As promised, the Sunday edition of Scientific Method. A little bit longer, this part, but I hope everyone enjoys. As always please leave suggestions as to what you'd like to see in the review section, it definitely helps keep my muse going! Today's question - to remember or not? And if so… to acknowledge the memory or not? Hmmm…. This is officially the most response I've received to a Doctor Who fiction, and once again I wish to thank you all for the kind words you continue to leave. All the reaction is why the muse continues to write daily for this fiction. And I love it too. :D

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.**

**Scientific Method**

**Part 5: Cause and Effect**

**By: Danae Bowen**

It was almost surprising how easy the dance club was to find. The second he came off the estates and onto the road, he could hear the throbbing beat of dance music and in moments found himself being passed by drunken youth, all coming from the same direction. It certainly didn't' require above average intelligence to turn and begin walking the short blocks to the warehouse that currently served as a hot spot for the Powell Estate's young and energetic.

Psychic paper got him past the bouncer that cast him an undignified look of scepticism. He ignored the attentions of several young girls that sidled up to him as he cut around the perimeter, his eyes trained on the shifting mobs for any sign of Rose. As he neared the back of the room, his eyes were eerily drawn to her, sitting alone at the bar, sipping what the Doctor could only assume by the empty glasses in front of her was one of many drinks.

He watched as a young man, attractive by human standards, moved up to her, chatting away with a friendly smile. Rose relaxed as they spoke, offering him her gentle smile, grinning and accepting another drink. She waved to Sharine on the dance floor who moved off with a group of people, leaving the boy she'd been dancing with alone. He made his way though the masses and sat on the stool next to Rose, his hand immediately moving to her back to spin her away from the one she'd been talking to, leaving her no choice but to look at him. The Doctor found it curious how fast hurt blazed through his hearts as this new boy moved his hands from her back to her thighs, leaning in towards her, past any personal barriers, directly into her personal space. The Doctor found his fingers curling into the palms of his hands, nails biting flesh as he watched from a distance, recognizing the expression on Rose's face as more discomfort than amusement. Rather than burst in and play the hero, he waited, watching as the girl tried to turn away only to be forced back, watching as the boy squeezed her thighs tightly, watching as she winced and grew even more nervous, watching as the boy leaned forward and pressed his lips to her ear, whispering something that effectively turned the girl pale. Even from a distance, the Doctor could see Rose begin to tremble, and through the red haze that marred his gaze he moved forward.

Remaining true to his nature, the Doctor walked up behind the young lad and leaned forward. "'Scuse me, I was hoping you could help me?"

Andrew looked up at him, casting him a disparaging gaze. "Go away, mate, can't you see I'm busy here?"

The Doctor shrugged, "Only if you classify terrifying a girl as busy."

"I said, bugger off."

The Doctor sighed, resting a hand on Andrew's shoulder, digging his fingers deep into the muscle he found there. "Anyway, what I need your help with is figuring out why your hands are on her legs."

The grin Andrew flashed was malicious, and he squeezed Rose's thighs tighter. "Seems to me she wants them there."

The Doctor lifted an eyebrow. "Seems to me, she wants anything but your hands on her. Mate." He caught Rose's eye and offered her a wink, soothing her startled gaze with a comforting smile. "Now, when dealing with girls… what's your name?"

He scowled, "Andrew… listen, just leave…"

"Andrew, when dealing with girls, you really want to watch for the signs telling you exactly how far they want you to go. For instance, your hands are gripped so tight on her legs, she's going to have bruises in the morning, Andrew, and that could be bad for you. Very bad as a matter of fact, so I'd suggest letting go for the moment." At the dark tone that dripped from the Doctor's voice, Andrew's fingers twitched reflexively and released Rose of their own will. "Excellent, see, you're a quick learner, lad, may be some hope for you yet." The Doctor smiled, his voice chipper once again. "The point I'm trying to make is that when you're trying to seduce a girl, you want to seduce her… softly." He reached out and took Rose's hands into his own, turning her gently to face him. He smiled at her reassuringly, stroking a single finger over each of her palms, his eyes claiming her gaze and refusing to release her attention. A blush of pink flooded her cheeks, darkening her eyes as her breath caught immediately in her throat, her heart beat increasing dramatically. "When you turned her to face you, Andrew, she went pale; in the future, you'll want to remember that is not a good sign." He lifted a hand to her cheek, caressing her warm skin. "When you held her legs, she shook; that in itself is bad sign." He slipped his hand down the side of her neck, her shoulder, her arm, sliding over inch after exposed inch until his fingers slid over her own and came to rest on her thigh, just below the hem of her tiny dress. As his cool fingers stroked the warm flesh of her thigh, a shiver began deep inside Rose, radiating outwards until her breath grew loud with effort and the pink flush to her cheeks grew red. Brown eyes turned black. A strong, steady heartbeat became wild and without rhythm. Under his gentle touch she trembled until her eyes drifted closed for a single moment, finally breaking their locked gaze. His voice made her gasp, her lip pulled between her teeth as she struggled to remain upright on the barstool, resting heavily against the bar behind her. "What you'd want to see is this slow tremble, this absolutely delectable shiver that tells you immediately that she will come to you willingly and be an equal participant in love." The Doctor flashed Andrew a saucy wink as he lowered his lips to Rose's ear, watching as goose bumps rose over every inch of visible skin when his breath whispered past her ear. He kept his tone low, but loud enough for Andrew to hear every word. "If I asked you who you wanted to take you home tonight, Rose Tyler, who would you choose?"

Rose opened her eyes then, her now onyx orbs sparkling but layered with confusion. She swallowed heavily, smiling at him uncertainly. "You."

"I suppose you should be on your way, then, Andrew. The lady's made her choice."

Andrew opened his mouth to argue, grabbing Rose's arm as he climbed to his feet, his intent to intimidate the Doctor written in his every expression. "Like she'd ditch with you, mate, you're what, three times her age? Why don't you try your crap down the road at the old age home. Or better yet, I hear her mum's always looking, could try your hand there."

He never saw the Doctor move; he didn't realize until it was too late that the Doctor had acquired an iron grip around his wrist and had begun bending his hand and fingers back painfully, forcing him to turn to face the alien. In seconds the Doctor was in Andrew's face, his expression outwardly calm, his flashing dark eyes telling a completely different story. "She's made her choice, son, and I'm pleased to say you will not be escorting the lady back to the Estates tonight. Count yourself lucky that when I let you go, you will have all your fingers still intact, and you have her to thank for that, because I can't be that person when she's with me. However, understand that if I see you look at her, touch her, or make her uncomfortable in any way I will ensure that the bruises you left on her thighs tonight will be repaid in kind. I am not a man you want to cross, Andrew, trust me on that, I can be very unstable. Rose Tyler is the one thing that will push me over the edge. Do we understand each other?" When Andrew nodded, the Doctor released his hand, allowing himself a small smile as the boy brought his damaged fingers to his chest, cradling the as yet unbroken bones.

The boy immediately forgotten, the Doctor turned back to Rose, her trademark grin threatening to break across her features. "I could'a taken him, y'know."

He chuckled. "Going to beat him to death with your stilettos, were you?" He glanced down, cocked his head to the side and grinned. "I'm impressed, actually, those are pretty great shoes. You probably could've used them as a weapon."

Rose leaned forward resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder, the world spinning and this time it wasn't his presence taking the ground out from under her feet. "Sharine's, gonna hafta give 'em back t'morrow."

He lifted his eyebrows, shaking his head, his eyes slowly travelling over her body, taking in the tiny black dress that turned his blood warm. Oddly, he wondered if the dress would have to be returned as well. "Come on, Rose, I'll take you home to your mum."

"No, you already did." She whimpered against him, trembling softly in his arms.

"Came back, though, just like I promised, see? I'm right here, barely gone three days." He forced a smile to his lips putting aside the panic he'd felt in the TARDIS only a few hours prior.

"Feels like forever."

He chuckled ruefully, pulling her to her feet, letting her lean into him as she struggled for her balance. "I'm amazed you feel anything at all. Exactly how much did you drink tonight?"

She shrugged, closing her eyes, letting him take her weight against him. "Dunno. Lots probably."

"And to think I was going to ask you to dance." He teased her lightly, leading her through the masses and towards the door.

She whimpered, her large eyes swimming as she looked at him with such a deep regret that his hearts threatened to break. "I would've said yes."

"Ah, not to worry, I'll get you home safe tonight, and tomorrow we'll talk."

"Promise?"

He wrapped his arms tight around her, allowing himself just a moment to relish the feeling of her relaxed against him. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before he led them out into the cool night air, relief and disappointment mingling as she gained her footing and put a few inches of distance between them. "Absolutely… if you remember this in the morning."

She looked up at him and cocked her head to the side, a confused smile lightening her features. "Remember what?"

He hung his head, helpless to stop the laughter from bubbling past his lips. It only took a few minutes to get back to the Estates; it took a few more minutes to retrieve the door key from her little black purse, and a few minutes longer than that to get her situated in bed. Knowing she wasn't likely to remember, the Doctor made her sit on the side of her bed, kneeling in front of her, allowing himself a moment of pleasure as he ran his fingers slowly down her leg from her knee to her ankle. With nimble fingers he released the clasps on her shoes, freeing her feet before he urged her to lay back. She turned on her side and looked up at him through hooded eyes.

"You staying' with me tonight, Doctor?"

His smile was sad as he reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes. "I won't be far." It seemed so innocent to lean over and press a gentle kiss to her lips in just a whisper of a kiss, but it was enough to take the remaining tension from her limbs and allow her to quickly drift off to sleep. He left a glass of water by her bedside for the morning before silently slipping out of the flat and returning to the TARDIS. He hadn't gotten the answers to his questions, not directly, but at the very least he was fairly sure she would come home when he asked her in the morning.

He frowned, licking his lips uncertainly, catching her lingering flavour on his tongue. He just wasn't sure exactly how much he hoped she'd remember, or for that matter how much she'd choose to forget.

Life had been so simple for the Time Lord…in the centuries before Rose Tyler.

~~~TBC


	6. Inconclusive Results

A/N: Good lord this part has been like pulling teeth… first page written the day after I posted the last part… and then came Primeval and I swear it's not my fault - Abby had my muse at gunpoint and refused to let her go. In the honour of tonight's absolutely FABULOUS episode of Series 6 (loved the Doctor's Wife.. Just loved it), Abby has kindly seen to the return of my muse for a quick moment in time. No, this is not the final part. Yes, there will be a final part - possibly the next one! And yes, I promise it won't be quite as long between this update and the next. :D

**Disclaimer: I so obviously don't own Doctor Who; I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices. Please don't sue, my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.**

Scientific Method

Part 6: Inconclusive Results

By: Danae Bowen

As she opened her eyes on a beautiful London Sunday morning, Rose Tyler realized that she wasn't as young as she used to be. In her teenaged years, Rose could drink most people under the table and barely felt it the next morning, today, however, her head throbbed painfully and she found herself immensely grateful for the glass of cool water waiting by her bedside.

She crossed the small flat to the washroom, and lifted off the little black dress that she'd slept in, making a mental note to ask her mum to have it laundered and dropped around Sharine's in the next week. She turned on the water to the shower, and as she was stepping into the warm steam she caught sight of the dark marks on her legs. Three distinct finger prints and a thumb print on each thigh, plus the half moon of a fingernail where the last digit failed to bruise. She winced at the purpling spots, and struggled to remember exactly what she'd gotten herself into the night before.

She tried to relax herself standing under the hot spray, lathering her hair, letting her muscles loosen, hoping the heat would ease the pounding in her head. She found it odd that she wasn't more... twitchy. When she was young and something like this had happened, a random bloke in a random club got too grabby and left her uncomfortable, she'd always come awake the next morning with a crawling feeling going down her spine, a mixture of a little guilt and a load of self loathing at having put herself in such a position. This morning, however, she found herself comfortable, almost calm. Odd that.

She climbed back out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her body, loving her mum for the over sized piece of terry cloth that covered her softly. She towel dried off her hair, pulling a brush through the golden tresses as she wandered out into the hall, frowning as she heard her mum chattering away happily from the living room. Without thinking, Rose moved into the living room, about to chastise her mum about the volume of her voice before realizing that sitting somewhat uncomfortably across from Jackie was the Doctor, a forced expression of amused attentiveness curling his lips.

"Oh," Rose whispered, her face taking on a deer in the headlights look as she suddenly remembered the events of the night before in their completion, right up to the gentle kiss with which the Doctor had awarded her as he tucked her in to her small bed.

"'Morning, sweetheart," Jackie trilled, "Look who's come back, bit more than ten seconds, I suppose, but we weren't counting, now, were we?"

Rose swallowed heavily, her lips half twitching into a smile, her eyes regaining their excited sparkle as she swallowed her surprise and lifted an eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Better late than never, right, Rose?" he offered her a wink before looking pointedly at the door.

She grinned, her tongue poking out between her teeth as she leaned against the doorframe and twirled a piece of her damp hair around a finger. "And if I'm not ready to come home, Doctor, what happens then? Seems to me that you have a promise to keep."

The Doctor matched her teasing grin and got to his feet, closing the distance between them and brushing a stray lock of hair from her shoulder. His fingers lingered on the soft skin he found beneath his fingers, cooling the warm flesh with his gentle touch. "The promise was for a dance, Rose, do you really want to dance in front of your mum?" He winked at her startled expression, turning the tables on the challenge Rose had laid before him.

Jackie frowned at them, clearing her throat. "Don't you think you should get dressed, Rose? It's hardly appropriate for you to be standing in the living room in a towel. The Doctor'll wait, won't you, Doctor?"

He chuckled softly, winking at his startled young companion. "I've waited this long, Jackie, I don't suppose a few minutes more will do us any harm."

The giggle that passed Rose's lips was uncontrollable as she flew down the hallway and into her room. Clothes flew haphazardly as she struggled to find clean jeans and that pretty purple top she'd picked up yesterday before going to the bar. She pulled it over her body, turning to cast herself a quick admiring look in the mirror. The shirt hugged her chest just so, accentuating the curve of her breasts so deeply even she was impressed for a moment. Her grin was large and unstoppable, joy encompassing every atom of her being as she grabbed her bag left at her bedroom door and rushed back out into the lounge.

"I don't suppose you'll be 'round any time soon, darling?" Jackie asked, sadly, even as Rose pressed her lips to her mum's cheek.

The younger woman chuckled, "Reckon you'd have had enough of me moping around the last few days. Do you really want me back so soon?"

Jackie laughed and held her close, grateful to see Rose's normally sunny disposition back in place. "Anytime, sweetheart." She paused. "But call first, especially if you're coming at night."

Rose's eyes rolled even as she gave her mother a final kiss goodbye and turned towards the door. As they made their way out into the courtyard, the Doctor took Rose's hand, squeezing it lightly. "You're in good spirits for someone that should be distinctly hung over," he grinned at her.

"Yeah, well, I learned how to shake off hangovers by the time I was seventeen." She giggled.

"I don't want to know," he grinned.

"But.."

He shook his head, "Nope, really don't want to know, Rose."

She leaned into his arm, resting her head against his shoulder as they walked. "Never young then, were ya? Never had a rebellious stage? Never had a little fun?"

He turned in the street to face her, lifting an eyebrow. "Some would say my entire life has been a rebellious stage." He gestured around himself, intoning all of London and the world in a single flick of his wrist. "And all of this is fun. Don't you think?"

"You know I do." She whispered seriously.

They grew silent as they finished the short trek to the TARDIS, Rose dropping her bag against the center console as she ran her fingers over the cool metal in a loving brush.

"Tea first and then talk? Or talk then tea?"

Her brown eyes took on a deer in the headlights look as she replayed the events of the last few weeks in her mind. First unintentionally and then with absolute intention to break down the Doctor through seduction. She blushed bright red and glanced at the door to the hallway that lead to the relative safety of her room.

"Ah, ah," he shook his head. "No running away, Rose Tyler. You put all of this in motion, and the time's come to own up to it." He hopped up on a railing, and peered at her unerringly. "So, want to tell me what all this has been about?"

Swallowing heavily, Rose cocked her head to the side before shaking her head. "Actually, Doctor, that's probably the last thing on earth I want to do right now."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Really? I would have thought..."

She laughed. "And you'd've been very wrong." She paused. "There is one thing I'd like to do, though, 'course that's if you're up for it."

He paused, hesitating only a moment before reaching a hand out to her. "Rose Tyler, I hardly think you'll quite find a day where a tiny human being could find something I'm not "up for"."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You really think so, do ya?"

He snorted indelicately. "I know so, thank you."

"Then how about a kiss, Doctor?"

"See there you go with all the build up, when all you're asking for is... wait what?"

She laughed lightly, raising a hand to gently brush a finger along his jaw line, her dark eyes lit with a soft glow. "A kiss, Doctor. I'm sure if you check any of the dictionaries in your library, you'll find the definition to be quite simple. A brush of lips between two people, giving the indication of emotion." She leaned in closer, her breath mingling with his own. "So? Are you up for it, Doctor, or has this _tiny human being_ finally found your limit?"

Unable to help himself, the Doctor's eyes began to sparkle, the corners of his lips pulling up in a genuine grin as he leaned against the railing. His fingers tightened around hers, pulling her towards him, against him, forcing his hearts to beat out of time as he carefully mulled over his next words. They were on a precipice, he and Rose, having torn down all but the thinnest of walls placed for protection. In thirty seconds everything would change, whether for good or bad depended on finding exactly the right thing to say.

He thought to say something serious, a vow to her that her happiness was currently his ultimate goal, that the universe would always take the back burner to the radiance that was Rose Tyler. He thought to say something funny, break the tension, force them back a step so that they could regroup and think this through just a wee bit longer. He thought, he thought, he thought; he thought that he thought for hours, expecting his muscles to protest their position, expecting Rose to protest her captivity in his arms, expecting the universe to have carried on while he rode his train of thought through the depths of madness to which he'd been driven by this simple human child. In reality, mere seconds passed before his lips parted, his tongue dancing out to chase away the sudden dryness that attempted to steal away the words playing at his lips.

Her words echoed through his mind for an infinitesimal moment longer, _"has this tiny human being finally found your limit?"_ and for the first moment since the destruction of Gallifrey, his mind quietened. All that remained in the silence were the steady beats of three hearts - the two in his chest, and the one she had laid easily at his feet.

"Haven't you just, Rose?" And the words were perfect. "Haven't you just?"

He never saw the hurt cross her eyes, or the confusion on her face as he closed the last miniscule bit of distance between them, his lips a warm pressure against hers before she had a chance to react.

~~~TBC


End file.
